What Freight Teamsters Are Saying

Posted on December 08, 2008

December 8, 2008: Freight Teamsters are making their voices heard about the tentative deal for concessions with YRC.

Read what they’re saying—and make your voice heard, too.

I hope everyone realizes what a sales pitch the stock warrants are. Our ballots get counted on Dec. 30. If it passes, then the stock price will be driven up and our price for the stock trust will be higher because the price will be set by the market close on Dec. 31. A one dollar increase on that day will save YRC about $10 million—which means $10 million less for the Teamsters in the trust.

If you read the example that the IBT has given us about the stocks, they tell us about distributing the $70 million gain to the Teamsters in the fund. What they fail to tell us is that it will only be about $1,500 to each Teamster. That amount of money is less than 10% of the total amount of wage cuts over the remaining four years of our contract. John Haines, New Penn Local 107, Philadelphia

We're a team and we’re willing to work to save our jobs. But what YRC is telling us is that when the economy bounces back, and YRC bounces back, we don't.

Can't this concessions deal be worded to include renegotiations yearly as the economy and profitability of the company improve?

How is it that those of us who make the least, the union members and retirees, are the ones taking the hit, while those making the most are jumping through a loop hole?

They even get a Christmas party. Jim Judson, Yellow Roadway Local 728, Atlanta

It looks like the concessions deal left a bunch of loopholes for high-level management. Big executives will try to keep their pay on the basis that they can’t find qualified people to work for less money.

I think the ones who make the millions will see only benefits, rather than loss. Ken Gough, Roadway Local 391, Kernersville, N.C.

Here is the one aspect of this concession agreement that is not acceptable: There is no provision to stop the concessions if YRC becomes profitable before the end of the contract. The only exceptions are Chapter 11 bankruptcy or if the company is sold.

What was Hoffa thinking? How about a provision that YRC can't undercut freight rates to take away business from ABF, a well-run and managed company that pays full Teamster wages?

ABF will feel the pressure, not only from non-union carriers, but YRC also. You can bet that Wes Kemp, ABF President, will want the same treatment, and who could blame him? He's doing his job, and Zollars isn't. Michael Campbell, ABF Local 776, Carlisle, Penn.

Bill Zollars is hell-bent on reducing the wages of Teamsters workers. Why did he put $40 million as a down-payment on a trucking company in Shanghai? There won’t be any union jobs created in China. That money should have been used to improve the company here.

Now we’ve got to watch out for a big domino effect, with ABF following suit. Travis Mapp, ABF Local 728, Atlanta

What do you think? Click here to send your comments to the TDU Freight Committee. Tell is if you’d like to keep your comments private or if we can share them on our website.

Help give other Teamsters an informed vote. Click here to download a bulletin with a summary of the proposed concessions agreement.

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